Live updates

The Labour MP who resigned from the shadow cabinet after her white van Rochester tweet has said she "got it wrong" as a flag of St George was tied to railings outside her London home.

The flag of England, the St George's Cross, flaps in the wind after being tied to Emily Thornberry's house.

Emily Thornberry, the former shadow attorney general, stood down after facing criticism for her photo that appeared to ridicule a Rochester home with three large England flags draped across the front of the house.

The Islington South MP spoke to reporters outside her house before cycling off to Parliament.

Ms Thornberry resigned from her position as shadow attorney general within hours of the tweet, which appeared to ridicule a white van-owning England fan, after two meetings with Mr Miliband.

But Mr Farage said the Labour leader was ineffective at turning the mood of a party he suggested now acted against England's interests.

I doubt they can make those inroads under this leader. I mean Labour has increasingly become anti-English over time, happy to pander in every way to Scotland, but somehow this Labour Party or new Labour believes that any sense of English identity is disreputable and wrong.

Advertisement

Labour MP Emily Thornberry did the "right thing" to resign from the shadow cabinet after sending a tweet appearing to ridicule a home owner in Rochester, shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander has told Good Morning Britain.

Ms Thornberry, who held the position of shadow attorney general, caused uproar during yesterday's by-election by sending out a picture of a house draped with England flags, and with a white van in the drive, with the words "Image from #Rochester".

Advertisement

Kensington and Chelsea is the capital's most expensive borough - where the average price of a home is more than £1 million Credit: Reuters

More than half of consumers believe Labour's proposals for a mansion tax on properties worth over £2 million are a good idea - but over a third still think the plans are unfair.

The results come from a national survey by Rightmove - who found that 52% supported the proposals while 38% thought it would be a bad idea.

London would be disproportionately hit by the tax if - with 72% of the affected properties in the capital, and a further 16% in the South-East.

Estate agents have criticised the move as effectively being a tax on Londoners who already have to battle with stamp duty charges due to rocketing house prices:

If the mansion tax is introduced, those sellers who have had their homes valued at over £2 million will need to lower their expectations on the deal they'll be able to get, in the same way stamp duty bands affect asking prices.

Whilst it could help raise funds for other causes, according to our survey there are a large proportion of people who wouldn't be affected by it who still think it's unfair.

Labour has criticised Boris Johnson as a "part-time" mayor amid continued speculation that he will return as an MP before the end of his current term.

Renewed speculation in newspapers today suggested that Mr Johnson would announce his intention to stand for parliament at next year's general election by the summer.

There is renewed speculation about Boris Johnson's plans to stand as an MP. Credit: PA Wire

A Labour source said the party would attack the mayor if he to "further his own political interests at the expense of the needs of Londoners".

Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan tweeted: "Wouldn't it be great if London's part-time mayor cared about our future as much as he cares about his own?"

Former mayor Ken Livingstone added: "Whether Boris Johnson is an MP, in the House of Lords or wherever it will make no difference as he doesn't do the day job as it stands, he leaves it to all his deputies."

Labour is calling for an overhaul of Stop and Search powers. It claims the impact the rules have on ethic minorities is shameful and that reform is urgently needed.

The arrest rate from searches has improved in London since 2009, but is still under 17%. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also wants current guidance on avoiding race discrimination to be replaced with legislation.